Perfume is too often an ethereal corset trapping everyone in the same unnatural shape

A lazy and inelegant concession to fashionable ego

Too often a substitute for true allure and style

An opaque shell concealing everything – revealing nothing

A childish masque hiding the timid and unimaginative

An arrogant slap in the face from across the room

People who smell like everyone else disgust me”

– Christopher Brosius

But the perfume he makes doesn’t seem like any perfume I’ve ever heard of. The one that caught my eye (not my nose, as I’ve never smelled it) is called In the Library. According to the website, it’s a mix of:

I think the scent is more like an idealistic version of a library or a rich person’s private library. Real public libraries stink, unfortunately. My husband and I both work in real libraries and the scent would not be charming.

CB I Hate Perfume in Brooklyn is a perfume lover’s mecca. The simple minimal interior leaves room in your senses for the thousands of memories, illusions, and experiences that can be derived from sniffing the bottle on the shelves. Try Soaked Earth–it will make you feel like you are walking in the woods after a fall rain. I’ve met Brosius himself–extremely cool and very approachable.

That seriously sounds like heaven. I know this is horrible, but I couldn’t help thinking that it’s a good thing he’s documenting smells like walking in the woods because in the distant future maybe no more woods will exist. Like the Simpsons episode where there’s a hologram of a tree with a plaque that says “In memory of a real tree.” Next time I’m in New York, I will definitely have to visit his shop. Thank you so much for your comment!